PRESS RELEASE

INTERNATIONAL CONSULTATION OF THE NETWORK FOR ECUMENICAL LEARNING IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

An International Consultation of the NELCEE took place in the International Baptist Theological Seminary and the Institute for Ecumenical Studies in Prague from 14-17 October 2010 with the theme: ‘Religious Education in School-Confessional or ecumenical?' and organized with the contribution of the Institute for Ecumenical Research Sibiu (Dr. Ovidiu Ioan), which is the  coordinator of the whole network. Representatives of Schools of Theology, Ecumenical Institutes and Research Centers from Russia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Swiss and Austria participated in the consultation by presenting the form, the content, the challenges, the difficulties and the ecumenical dimension of the lesson of religion in their context. Reports and papers were offered by: Dr. Natalia Vasilevic (Belarus), Prof. Radko Popov and Dr. Magdalena Legkostup (Bulgaria), Dr. Mare Palgi (Estonia), Dr. Eleni Kasselouri- Hatzivassiliadi and Dr. Pantelis Kalaitzidis (Greece), Prof. Peter Balla (Hungary), Prof. Stefan Tobler and Dr. Emanuel Tavala (Romania), Prof. Erika Prijatelj (Slovenia), Dr. Augustin Solokovski (Russia) and Pr. Ivana Noble (Czech Republic). Pr. Robert Schelander from Austria presented the results of the first phase of the research program TRES (Teaching Religion in a Multicultural European Society) and the book How Teachers in Europe Teach Religion. An International Empirical Study in 16 Countries LIT VERLAG, Berlin, 2009. The 12 member institutes from 11 European countries have decided to consolidate their collaboration in the field of religious education, setting as immediate objectives membership enlargement, facilitation of student and professor exchange programmes between member institutes, encouragement of a tight cooperation with the national ministries of education, development of common research projects. The first common research project will be focused on "Formal and Informal Methods for Ecumenical Formation in Central and Eastern Europe".

 For more information about the nature and the goals of the network see: www.nelcee.com